Exploring English Language Teaching in Post-Soviet Era Countries

Perspectives from Azerbaijan

Tamilla Mammadova

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000197525
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Exploring English Language Teaching in Post-Soviet Era Countries analyses different elements of English language teaching from the Soviet era to a new era of Westernised influence. This work provides an insight into the problems that occur in present-day English language education in post-Soviet era countries, considering English language teaching at all stages of education.

The book outlines the challenges that many countries of the former Soviet Union experienced at the turn of the twenty-first century and relates these to education as a crucial social phenomenon. It considers the teaching of English as a lingua franca at all education levels in the countries of the former Soviet Union, with particular emphasis on universities. Using empirical research from case studies in Azerbaijan, the book considers whether post-Soviet era countries have truly moved towards a Westernised model of language education or simply imitated one. This book is the first of its kind to treat the problem by listening to teachers' and students' voices as the major actors of the educational process.

This book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of English language education, education in Eastern Europe and applied linguistics.

Part I
The educational system in Azerbaijan and the role of English at each level

This part reveals the general academic situation in Azerbaijan at all educational levels after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Though the Soviet system of higher education had a number of distinctive features, some of them have been completely lost, while others could not dissolve at a historically subsequent stage. In this respect, in spite of the general focus of the monograph on English language teaching in higher education, we cannot move up without understanding education in its broad sense in the post-Soviet era, its steps and targets. This will create a better understanding of general English language teaching with a particular emphasis on universities and higher education institutions. Unlike Part II which focuses on empirical data, Part I introduces the data based on official records and reports.

1
Obligatory and non-obligatory education in Azerbaijan

1.1 Understanding of obligatory and non-obligatory education

Obligatory general education in Azerbaijan consists of three stages: Primary, Secondary and Upper Secondary Education (see Figure 1.1). This type of education is undertaken in comprehensive schools, colleges and gymnasiums, the last two of these being general schools where, apart from the commonly taught subjects, pupils can choose their majors: for example, music, drawing, designing, sport, etc.

Figure 1.1 Basic education system in Azerbaijan

General Education, that is, Primary and Secondary Education, is usually followed by higher education, itself organised into three main stages: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and PhD degree.

It is important to point out that compulsory education in state institutions in Azerbaijan is mainly carried out in two languages, Azerbaijani or Russian, where students are free to choose whether to be educated in either of these languages. This takes its roots from the Soviet Union regime in which Russian played the role of the second native language. As for English, it has always played the function of an obligatory second language (L2) to be learnt by students at all stages of their education, both in compulsory and non-compulsory schools. However, it should be pointed out that recently some state universities have offered programs in English language as well. Those students who would like to be educated in English along with regular admission exams (see section 2.2) have to introduce an International English Language Test Certificate, which is usually IELTS or TOEFL.

During the second decade of the twenty-first century, a number of international schools became operational in the country. These are mostly private primary and secondary schools that offer their programs in English, French, Turkish and even Hebrew. Due to Western tendencies, these private secondary schools offer various international curriculum programs. Most of the schools offer an IB program (International Baccalaureate), which aims at developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are motivated to succeed. The main mission of these schools is to teach students to think independently and to facilitate their development through appropriate guidance. The main distinction of these schools from the public schools is providing teachers a freedom to use various tools to invoke a genuine interest in subjects without prescribing any particular method/methodology of teaching.¹

The education in Azerbaijan is mostly public and is free at primary and secondary school levels. Universities, in turn, offer programs both on a free and a paid basis (see chapter 2).

1.2 Primary Education

Primary Education in Azerbaijan runs from 6 to 10 years old,² comprising four academic years. According to the educational laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the admission of pupils to primary schools is implemented by a committee appointed for that purpose, formed by the deputy director of each primary school, four primary school teachers, the school psychologist and representatives of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). The chairman of the committee is the director of the school. During the admission process, children should answer a certain number of questions that will determine their commitment to school. Primary Education programs are confirmed and approved by the Ministry of Education and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan (order No. 104 of June 4, 2010).

The main target of Primary Education is to develop the abilities of children to read, write and count; to form basic knowledge about humans, society and nature; and to develop logical and critical thinking and aesthetics. The main disciplines taught to grades 1–4 are Maths, Life Skills and Languages, which are most often English, French or German. Moreover, children practise Art, Music and Physical Education, which are taught twice a week.³ Pupils attend classes five days a week and have three to four lessons per day, each lasting 45 minutes. English language education in primary school starts from the very first year and, on average, is taught twice a week (45 minutes per each lesson) where children learn the alphabet, basic words and numbers, i.e., by the end of the fourth year gain limited language knowledge equivalent to a beginner’s level, or A1 level according to CEFR (2001). At the end of Primary Education, pupils have to understand and be able to use simple everyday expressions, to introduce themselves, and to ask and answer basic questions on personal details. Additionally, some schools use an individual approach to the amount of hours dedicated to teaching English. This mainly depends on the school facilities, such as the availability of classrooms, the number of teachers and learners’ interests. As regards the textbooks used for EFL learning, each primary school should use local textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan.

The textbooks are recent publications (2011–2018) and comprise two components, a student’s book and a teacher’s book, the latter containing the following sections:

• aims of the course;
• methodology for English grade 1 (2, 3, 4);
• expectations to be met at the end of the course;
• practical suggestions;
• criteria for course evaluation;
• criteria for pupil assessment;
• skills to be assessed;
• major standards for English language learning.

Moreover, the textbook provides a very detailed syllabus, including an outline for each lesson, which greatly facilitates teacher’s job.

As for the second-grade textbook, this is similar to the previous one in overall terms; however, in addition to the teacher’s and student’s books, there is also a workbook. In the teacher’s book the following tips are found:

• recommendations for teachers regarding grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, writing and reading;
• a detailed syllabus for each lesson.

The book of this level has a special recommendation which says: “there is no need to teach grammar rules at this level; rather, grammar rules and pattern sentences are taught gradually to enable the children to learn and use them in daily activities” (Aliyeva, Aliyeva, & Huseynova, 2014, p. 8). In this respect, the language seems to be taught implicitly and in an interactive way.

Textbooks for grade 3 offer teachers a more detailed picture on how English should be taught. Before presenting a syllabus for each of the lessons, teachers are given the following recommendations and instructions in their book:

• requirements for teaching young learners;
• requirements for the creation of a productive teaching atmosphere;
• top ten classroom management tips for successful teaching (including young learners’ needs, group and pair work, advantages, problems, students, etc.);
• some learning strategies (role play, brainstorming, cube)⁴;
• some points to think about.

Finally, the grade 4 textbook includes two main types of suggestions:

• essential tips for teachers (focus on vocabulary, read aloud, simplify your language, speak directly, use focus questions, announce the lesson objectives, do not give inflated grades, make use of visual clues and graphic organisers, provide fluent opportunities for students to speak, develop student-centred approach, don’t force students to speak);
• suggestions to support grade 4 (use reading strategies to increase students’ comprehension, check comprehension through sequencing activities, encourage reading outside the classroom, set up an English language centre).

Finally, education standards for primary schools are set out on the official website of the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan;⁵ a sample curriculum program designed for primary schools can also be found on the official website of one of the schools in Baku.⁶

1.3 Obligatory Secondary Education

Obligatory Secondary Education starts at the age of ten and runs to age 14. It is thus completed within five academic years and is compulsory. During this time, pupils study subjects such as Geography, Maths, Languages (English, German or French), Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Algebra, Information Technology, Geometry, Physics, Introduction to Economics, the State Constitution, Introduction to Law, Ecology, Astronomy, Rhetoric and Arts courses (Music, Drawing, etc.). Being taught once or twice a week, the duration of each course is 45 minutes. The academic week is five-days long with an average of five to six lessons per day. Broadly speaking, the main purpose of Secondary Education is to develop oral and written abilities, communication skills, logical thinking and to acquire relevant knowledge and impressions on subjects found in the curriculum. Also important here is the development of the ability to use modern information and communication tools and to encourage students to reflect on the future direction that these will take in terms of global civilisation. Once students have completed Secondary Education, the corresponding certificate is issued. This document provides graduating students with the opportunity to move to the next level of education; that is, they can continue their education at a complete Secondary Education level or pursue non-obligatory professional colleges (see sections 1.4 and 1.5). As regards EFL teaching in secondary schools, the data collected in several institutions suggests that the curriculum program is normally designed by the secondary school teachers themselves, based on regulations set by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan. English language is normally taught twice a week for 90 minutes per week. The study of English is obligatory and the course hosts 16–20 pupils per class. Pupils have to study a foreign language every academic year. The general competence of students at this stage (from grades 5 to 9) should be comparable to the A2 to B1 levels, according to CEFR (2001). Broadly speaking, students have to understand the main points from clear and standard input based on familiar topics; they should be in a position to deal with such situations as work, leisure, school and travel; they should also be able to produce simple texts of personal interest and to describe events, experiences, hopes, activities, etc. As regards textbooks, there are four textbooks written by local authors to be used at this stage, one per each academic year. All these textbook titles contain in fact three books: a teacher’s book, a student’s book and a workbook. The teacher’s book in each case consists of an extensive introduction and a core section. In the introduction, we find the following sections:

• learning outcomes that describe the four language skills;
• detailed content for each skill;
• teaching strategies and tips, i.e., classroom management, methods and techniques, lesson planning;
• principles of classroom management;
• detailed table of contents per lesson;
• criteria for the assessment of students;
• a detailed syllabus for each lesson.

As was the case with the textbooks designed for primary schools, textbooks for secondary schools follow a communicative approach. Moreover, the introduction presented in the teacher’s books explains in full all the tasks and objectives of the program for each grade.

1.4 Complete/Upper Secondary Education

Upper Secondary Education is the final stage of Secondary Education, in which students aged 14 to 17 develop their talents and skills, prepare themselves for independent and professional life, acquire the active civil position of being an adult human being, in terms of both their national and universal contexts and also acquire values and respect for human rights, fundamental freedom and tolerance. Meanwhile, they also gain communicative competence in one or more foreign languages. Upper Secondary Education, then, implies the completion of education programs (curriculums) at all three levels: Primary, Secondary and Upper Secondary. Upper Secondary Education also involves specialisation in humanitarian, technical and natural sciences. It should be noted that at this stage of education students study the same subjects that are taught at obligatory Secondary Education but in greater detail and depth.

Upper Secondary Education, being the last level of general ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• List of abbreviations
• General introduction
• Part I The educational system in Azerbaijan and the role of English at each level
• Part II Students’ and teachers’ views and attitudes towards the teaching and learning of English in Azerbaijan
• Part III Implications and future perspectives
• Appendix 1a: Students’ questionnaire
• Appendix 1b: Teachers’ questionnaire
• Appendix 2
• References
• Index